Tactics Ogre : Letís Cling Together is a PSP
adaptation of a 1995 Super Nintendo/Super Famicom game of the
same name. It has been re-released several times on different
platforms, but even after 15 years, the game is quite a delight
to play, only hampered slightly by an outdated interface.

The compelling, intricate storyline involves
three ethnic groups, all vying for the control of Valeria. You
are Denam, part of the oppressed Walister group. Having watched
your home town being massacred and your father taken away, you
group with your childhood friend Vyce and your sister Catiua
as you play a pivotal role in getting peace for Walister (and
control of Valeria, if yo so wish).

The branching plot itself is a feat indeed,
reliant on making difficult moral decisions. Will you join in a
massacre of your own people if it may help ensuring peace for
Walister? Will you join your friends, even if you donít believe
in their methods? Will you make peace with your former enemies?
These decisions change the different battles you have to face
and make you feel like you are in control. The dialogue is
great as is the expressive music Ė itís amazing what they have
been able to do with such small sprites.

The battles themselves are standard SRPG fare,
not that that is anything to sneeze at. You lead up to 10
different characters on an isometric map, each map having an
objective (Kill someone or vanquish all enemies). The battles
themselves are exciting, as you have a whole lot of different
tactics and strategies to play with. There are loads of classes
and each character can be assigned up to 10 skills, which means
that you can seriously deck out your character just the way you
like it. (Skills may mean proficiencies with weapons, magic or
class-specific actions).

The depth of character configuration leads to me
the overall depth of the game. By pressing the ďselectĒ button,
you can get information on each bit of data on-screen. And
there is a lot! The amount of data that Tactics Ogre packs into
the one screen can be overwhelming, especially when in the shop
and party screens. SRPG fans will revel in what they can do, as
they tinker with getting their classes, skills and inventories
right, crafting items, taming/subduing enemies and auctioning
them off, hiring new characters. You can have up to 99
characters in your team and you can micro manage each of them.

This leads me to my only gripe. Micro managing
the team is seriously time-consuming. When you are at a shop,
you only have limited information on who needs what or what
magic needs learning. You spend a lot of time going backwards
and forwards, out of the shop, into the party and vice-versa.
Only certain items apply to certain classes and it would be so
much easier to be able to either compare against what someone
currently has or equip everyone of the same class at the same
time.

Final Fantasy : Letís Cling Together, despite a
slightly clunky interface, is a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
With a wide arching, controllable storyline, fans of SRPGS in
general or patient players who enjoy an enthralling story are
ensured many hours of gaming goodness.